Measuring Sustainability based on Domestic and International Indicator Systems

Abstract

The biggest challenge facing humanity in the twenty-first century is ensuring the sustainability of our ecological, economic, and social systems because failure could endanger even human existence. The ability to mathematically measure both the target state and the steps towards that state is always necessary when defining a target and the path to achieving it. It also applies to the situation of sustainability. However, since sustainability is a very complex, multi-dimensional system, it is extremely difficult to develop an accurate measurement method. In this article, we present the most popular international and Hungarian methodologies along with a description of their main characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, as well as the most significant conclusions.